The Things We Once Couldn't Say
by uzumakura
Summary: A little snippet of what could've been after Sakura finds Naruto and Sasuke lying there, bleeding out after their iconic final battle. Takes place right after they've been healed, and is in an AU setting since Sasuke is essentially out of the picture.


Sakura had successfully healed both of the boys' arms when Kakashi arrived with reinforcements. Officers had come along to secure Sasuke into Konoha's custody, and the Uchiha had left without a fight - only a brief goodbye from both the blond and the pinkette with the promise that they would see each other again. Sakura had chanced a prolonged glance at the black-haired boy, hoping to communicate how she felt with her eyes. He nodded and turned, going along with his former sensei and the band of officers away from the area.

After the group had left, said pinkette turned her attention to Naruto, who had opted to continue lying on the ground waiting for her chakra to be restored enough to heal the rest of his body. It had taken a lot of out of her just to close whatever was left of his arm.

But she had to be strong. She concentrated on quickly recovering her strength to make the remnants of his battle with Sasuke disappear, as if healing it could make him forget.

With a sigh, Sakura knelt beside him, gently draping an arm over his chest so as not to cause him more pain. "You idiot… look at this! You nearly got yourself killed." She scanned over his form as she chastised him, the sight of him all battered and bloody causing her heart to squeeze in her chest. She never liked seeing him hurt, she came to realize. Meeting his gaze after a proper assessment of his injuries, she noticed his bangs were in the way of his swollen eye and mindlessly brushed them away, keeping her fingers still against the heat of his temple.

"Ah, this is nothing, Sakura-chan. Besides, I knew you'd come to save me so I didn't hold back. The more hurt I am, the longer you'll heal me for, right?" Naruto replied with his signature closed-eye grin, the tips of his ears reddening at his forwardness. Sakura's eyes widened slightly before her lips quivered to manage a smile.

The gentle platter of something warm and wet on his cheek caused him to open his eyes curiously, before they slowly widened in a similar fashion. She was crying. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her face contorted in what seemed to be pain and confliction.

"S-Sakura-chan, what's wrong? Why are you-"

"I meant it."

"What do you-"

"Baka.. I meant every word."

Realization slowly dawned on the blond boy as he waited for her to clarify, his heartbeat quickening in what could only be described as anticipation… Hope.

Sakura glanced off to the side, lifting a hand to swipe the back across her cheek half-heartedly. "Back when I was trying to convince you not to go after Sasuke… I meant what I said. A-About…" She faltered, her cheeks reddening gradually in vulnerable hesitation.

"About…?" Naruto coaxed gently, already knowing the answer. He wanted to hear it for himself.

The pinkette turned her gaze back to him, looking into his eyes as the last few droplets fell off her chin and landed on his shirt. She took a shaky breath and finished.

"About loving you."

There it was. Naruto closed his eyes, allowing those three simple words to fill both his mind and his heart. They echoed there in both places, and after a minute he opened his eyes again, the blue of the ocean in them seemingly hardened.

Sakura took notice of this and quickly began to try and explain further. "I-I mean, I.. I know it was all of a sudden at the time and it didn't make much sense considering how strong of feelings I might have had for Sasuke, but-" His ears pricked at the lack of honorific in her childhood crush's name, and before she could speak another word, he slid his hand up to the back of her neck and pulled her down, lifting his head just enough for them to meet in the middle.

Their lips pressed together, hot and slightly chapped and _perfect_. Sakura instantly quieted and tilted her head to return the kiss, her fingers tangling in the sleeve of his netting before moving to his mop of golden hair. They took into account that they were both still young and inexperienced, but the sheer amount of emotion that went into the embrace left them breathless as they slowly pulled apart, noses nudging together before Sakura leaned back completely.

Earth and sea clashed as they gazed into each other's eyes, both of their faces flushed and breaths ragged. It took a moment, but with a quick swipe of her tongue over her lips the pinkette continued to speak.

"I've.. I've always had feelings for you, Naruto. Really. It was just... hard for me to see it. To be able to get past what I had initially longed for for so long." She paused, pushing a messy lock of hair behind her ear. "He was all I ever wanted... but nothing I really needed. And I didn't know what I needed... until now." She didn't dare look at him, having enough trouble finally saying the words that had been burning in her heart to scream out for so long.

The blond exhaled through his nose to hide the sudden effect her words had on his very soul. "I know, Sakura-chan. I knew what you were going through, but I still promised myself that no matter what, I would protect and take care of you. And I never break my promises." He chanced a grin, lifting his good arm to give her a thumbs up, similar to the way he did to her on that fateful day when they were still only Genin. Oh, how time flies...

Sakura snorted softly and gave him a gentle smile, brushing her fingers through his bangs one more time. Without missing a beat, Naruto angled his head so his nose fitted against her palm, and he closed his eyes, taking the chance to rest. He had never before been so content, and it showed on his face as she gazed down at him with nothing but the deepest of love in her heart. Dummy, she thought affectionately.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, Sakura continuing to build up her strength and savoring the near-silence (save for the soft whistling of the wind), until she heard his voice pipe up again.

"Ne, Sakura-chan... does this mean I get my other wounds healed with kisses, too?"


End file.
